Madeline
Albright is the first woman Secretary of State. My friend Roberta
Ramo is the first woman president of the American Bar Association.
Miss Piggy is the first porcine woman to become an international
star. These are clearly exciting times for women, and yet most of
us will not become "the first woman" to achieve political
or public stardom.
The
majority of women will not receive public recognition at all in
this lifetime. (A friend of mine insists that she had too much recognition
in previous lives, the kind that led to untimely deaths, so she
was "laying low" in this lifetime!)
And
yet, I encourage you to face the fact that we are all :famous first."
Our mission is to blaze some new trail, reach for a higher star,
or discover a previously unknown island in the atoll of our existence.
When
I first pitched a self-help book idea to an agent, she said, "There's
too much competition in the self-help field. Your name would have
to be a 'household word' in order to get that published." I
laughed loudly. My name isn't even a household word in my own house!
It's usually a name connected with a request like, "Mom, can
you do this for me?" "Honey, can you take car of that?"
Or sometimes, I'm no name at all, merely an invisible adverse cause:
"Is that what we're having for dinner?" directed
disdainfully into the air around me.
A
country singer friend of mine once remarked, "Statistically,
Gail, I'd be more likely to be struck by lightning than to become
a famous recording artist."
"Maybe
so," I teased, "but you could begin by entertaining the
idea of becoming the first famous country singer to have been struck
by lightning!" (Remember, it's the thought that counts!
So be careful. Thoughts can manifest.) Too many of us live what
I call, "lies of limitation." Claiming our personal power
means thinking of and practicing and believing in the possibilities!
It's time to define ourselves and our lives in brand new ways, pregnant
with possibilities, ways that bring us hints of how to become a
"famous first."
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"The
universe conspires to give you what you want."
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Bette Midler commented recently that "work
is a process of self-definition." Using work in the broadest
sense, it is how we live our lives, the attitudes of curiosity,
confidence and caring that we bring to every endeavor, that will
ultimately give shape, meaning and definition to who we are.
When
we place our attention and the energy we contribute to the process
will open automatic doors of possibilities. The mere intention to
bring more success (define that thought!) and joy into our lives
is the deciding variable. Physician Larry Dossey tells us that the
best predictor of survival across the next decade of a person's
life is what the person thinks about her
health! Family, health history and risk factors play a less important
role. Smokers, for example, double their risk of dying in the next
ten years, but a negative response to the question, "what do
you think about your health?" produces a seven-fold risk of
dying!
It
is time to think of yourself , to define yourself as a person of
powerful possibilities. It is time to focus on success in every
area of your life and realize that "The universe conspires
to give you what you want." This spring, be among the first
to blossom in some new way, even some small way, like trying a recipe
you've thought was too complicated, or learning to program your
VCR.
By
the end of this year, bloom in a bigger way. Take a course, develop
expertise in some area that draws your interest. (I'm going to work
on becoming a household word in my own house.) It's time to know,
in the deepest, calmest place within your heart, that you are a
"famous first."
Dr.
Gail Feldman is a clinical psychologist, award-winning author,
and enthusiastic public speaker. Her most recent book, Releasing
the Goddess Within, coauthored with Katherine Gleason,
is now available Her classic, From Crisis to Creativity:
Taking Advantage of Adversity, has been published
in an updated edition in London by TimeWarner. She is also trained
in hypnotherapy, regression therapy, and eye movement desensitization
and reporcessing (EDMR).
